A NEW service has started in Portsmouth aimed at increasing the amount of business tourism into the city by promoting its conferencining facilities.

Launched at the annual Shaping Portsmouth Conference on Friday, the new Portsmouth Convention Bureau is a one-stop shop for any company or organisation looking to run a business conference, hire meeting room space, put on an exhibition, offer corporate hospitality, or find space for their events.

Under the leadership of the Guildhall Trust’s Andy Grays, the dozen-strong team has created an online portal to give businesses and organisations the fastest and easiest way to find the right venue, as well as showcasing what Portsmouth has to offer.

Andy said: ‘Portsmouth Guildhall is delighted to be a member of Portsmouth Conference Bureau.

‘With Portsmouth boasting such a wonderful mix of heritage and contemporary venues and facilities, the bureau offers a much-needed service to event organisers to help them plan and ensure their requirements are best matched to the stunning array of what the city has to offer.

‘All of the venues, accommodation providers and attractions across the city work so closely together alongside the bureau to make Portsmouth the natural destination of choice.’

The venue finder function allows people to specify various requirements, including overall capacity, number of meeting rooms, overnight bed space, catering, and IT facilities.

The first not-for-profit partnership of its kind in Portsmouth, the bureau has brought together 12 venues from across the city, including the Pyramids, Mary Rose, Village Hotel, University of Portsmouth, John Pounds Centre, Guildhall, Marriott Hotel, Mountbatten Centre, National Museum of the Royal Navy, Peter Ashley Activity Centre, Spinnaker Tower and The Old Customs House at Gunwharf Quays.

Matt Mason, centre director of the John Pounds Centre, said: ‘We joined the bureau as we saw this as a positive opportunity to find support for us, to grow our services, network with like minded business across the city and find smarter ways of working.

‘I’m looking forward to the membership growing and in turn expanding the reach of the bureau and finding innovative ways of working.’